Bomb cyclone brings bitter cold and snow to the Southeast

"A powerful winter weather system including an intense low-pressure "bomb cyclone" along the East Coast is affecting a large swath of the country and driving extremely cold air deep into the Southeast. Temperatures in southern Florida fell into the 20s on Sunday morning it's the coldest it's been since 1989, according to the National Weather Service. A statement on the agency's website warned of freezing temperatures and "bitterly cold air" surging down the Florida Peninsula."

""All of our climate sites set new record lows for the date this morning," read a social media statement from the NWS office in Melbourne, Fla., "and most even set new monthly record lows for February!" Though not unusually cold for much of the country, Florida isn't well-equipped for such temperatures, said Brian McNoldy, who studies cyclones at the University of Miami. "It's just something that people aren't used to," he said, "I mean, not every house even has heat, a lot of people don't have heavy coats.""

""I went past the park today, there were people playing golf. There were people running, there were people bicycling," he said. "I think this is a case where people are still doing the things they would normally do — they're wearing a sweatshirt now." Nolan, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami, observed that there used to be more frequent cold snaps in Florida. "There were some very, very cold winters in Miami in the early eighties," he said. "It's just warmer now.""

A powerful winter storm featuring an intense low-pressure "bomb cyclone" along the East Coast is pushing extremely cold air deep into the Southeast. Temperatures in southern Florida dropped into the 20s, marking the coldest readings there since 1989. The National Weather Service warned of freezing temperatures and "bitterly cold air" surging down the Florida Peninsula and reported multiple record low measurements at climate sites. Florida lacks widespread winter infrastructure, with some homes lacking heat and many residents without heavy coats, increasing vulnerability to the unusual cold. Some residents continued outdoor recreation, and authorities authorized removal and collection of live, cold-stunned iguanas to reduce hazards.

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